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Ratio and Proportion

Ratios and proportions are mathematical tools used to compare quantities. A ratio compares two quantities using division and shows how one quantity relates to another. A proportion indicates that two ratios are equal. Proportions have properties that can be used to solve problems, including that the product of the means equals the product of the extremes, the reciprocals of the ratios in a proportion are equal, and switching the means or extremes in a proportion still results in a proportion. Ratios and proportions are applied in daily life situations like currency conversion and estimating costs.

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Bautista Ayesha Mikhaila (A-kun)
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94 views2 pages

Ratio and Proportion

Ratios and proportions are mathematical tools used to compare quantities. A ratio compares two quantities using division and shows how one quantity relates to another. A proportion indicates that two ratios are equal. Proportions have properties that can be used to solve problems, including that the product of the means equals the product of the extremes, the reciprocals of the ratios in a proportion are equal, and switching the means or extremes in a proportion still results in a proportion. Ratios and proportions are applied in daily life situations like currency conversion and estimating costs.

Uploaded by

Bautista Ayesha Mikhaila (A-kun)
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Ratio and Proportion

The ratio is the mathematical tool we use to compare quantities using division. The concept of ratios leads to the
concept of proportions which has a lot of application in our daily lives such as when we convert currencies, estimate
the volume of gasoline required for a car to cover a certain distance and calculate the cost of items bought, and so
on.

Ratio

A ratio shows how the quantity of an object is related to the quantity of another object. For example, if there are
15 male and 23 female students in a classroom, we can compare these quantities using a ratio, in particular, 15 : 23.

To express two quantities being compared as a ratio, we usually write it in the format below. Note that we use a
colon (:) to express a ratio.

Ratio as a Fraction

We can write a ratio into its equivalent fractional form. We just write the first number as the numerator then write
the second number as the denominator. For instance, using our example above about Aling Nena’s chickens and
pigs, we can express the ratio of her chickens to her pigs 4 : 8 as 4⁄8.

Using Ratio to Compare a Part to a Whole

We have already defined what ratios are. However, the ratios that we have tackled in our previous sections pertain
to a comparison of a quantity of an object to the quantity of a different object.

This time, let us use the ratio to compare a part of a whole to the whole itself.

Suppose that you and your friends bought a pizza and sliced it into 8 equal parts. Suppose that you’re able to take 2
slices from it. What is the ratio of the slices of pizza you have (a portion of the whole pizza) to the total number of
slices (the whole pizza)?

The given situation above might ring a bell to you. Yes, we can use fractions to show that comparison. In particular,
fraction 2⁄8 can be expressed into a ratio as 2 : 8

This means that to use the ratio to compare a part of a whole to the whole itself, we can use this format:

<portion of the whole> : <total number portions of the whole>

Proportion

A proportion indicates that the two ratios are equal. In other words, proportions are equivalent ratios. Hence, if
we say that ratios are proportional, we mean that those ratios are equal in values.

How to Know if Two Ratios are Proportional

Two ratios are proportional if they are equal. One way to determine if two ratios are equal is by converting them
into fractional form and then using the cross-multiplication method which we discussed in the Fractions and
Decimals reviewer.

Parts of a Proportion: Extremes and Means

Suppose a proportion a : b = c : d where a, b, c, and d represent real numbers.

The first and last terms (i.e., a and d) of the proportion are called the extremes. Meanwhile, the second and third
terms (i.e., b and c) are called the means.

Properties of Proportion

Using the fact that proportions are equivalent ratios, we can mathematically derive its properties. These properties
are very helpful when solving problems involving ratio and proportion.

Here are the properties of proportion:


1. The product of the means is equal to the product of the extremes

For every proportion a : b = c : d, then a x d = b x c

This property tells us that if we multiply the means and also multiply the extremes of a proportion, we will obtain the
same number.

2. The reciprocals of the ratios in a proportion are equal

Recall that the reciprocal of a fraction is its multiplicative inverse, or simply the same fraction but with the positions
of the numerator and the denominator reversed.

For example, the reciprocal of 2⁄5 is 5⁄2.

Given a proportion, say a : b = c : d, we can express it in fractional form as a⁄b = c⁄d

If we get the reciprocal of both fractions in a⁄b = c⁄d, we have:

b⁄a = d⁄c

We can express b⁄a = d⁄c in ratio as b : a = d : c

This property states that if we take the reciprocal of each ratio in a proportion, the ratios are still proportional. In
symbols:

a:b=c:d→b:a=d:c

3. Switching the means or the extremes in a proportion will result in a proportion

Suppose the proportion 1 : 7 = 3 : 21. If we try to switch the positions of the means of this proportion, we have 1 : 3
= 7 : 21. You can verify using cross-multiplication that 1 : 3 = 7 : 21 is true (that is, 1 : 3 and 7 : 21 are equivalent
ratios or proportional).

Now, let us try switching the extremes of 1 : 7 = 3 : 21. That is, we obtain 21 : 7 = 3 : 1. Again, you can verify using
cross-multiplication that 21 : 7 = 3 : 1 is true.

Hence, for every proportion a : b = c : d, switching the means or the extremes will still result in a proportion.

a : b = c : d → a : c = b : d and d : b = c : a

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